| In 1951 a promising rookie, Mickey Mantle, made his major league debut. The highly acclaimed 19 year old played in only 96 games, hit 13 home runs with 65 RBI's. Mantle started the season in April and was sent down to the minors during the season.
When Yankee scout Tom Greenwade signed Mantle he said, 'I now know how scout Krichell must of felt the first time he saw Lou Gehrig'. 'Mickey possessed tremendous power from both sides of the plate, had blinding speed and a great arm'.
In the 1951 World Series, Mickey Mantle tore ligaments in his right knee when his spikes caught on a sprinkler in right-centerfield. Mantle was carried off the field and had major surgery right-after. Mantle suffered knee problems thru his great career because of this injury. Every kid was tossing out their Mantle rookie baseball cards because it seemed like he wasn't going to be able to come back after surgery. Hence they became a collector's item. baseballhistorian.com
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To view a few newspaper clippings from the 1950s, type in the words Today in Time into our 'Search' located on the Home Page. Thanks |
